Insecurity and need for automated access control in Nigerian ports

The rising security concerns in the country occasioned by terrorist activities point to the need for all sectors of the economy, especially the port industry, to put measures in place to stem the tide of insecurity within their domain.

Nigerian seaports are currently confronted with huge security challenges, one of which has been as a result of the uncontrolled human traffic in and out of the ports. This is one of the major reasons the United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently imposed Condition of Entry (CoE) on Nigerian ships originating from all the port facilities tagged non-compliant to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The ISPS Code was developed to stem the activities of terrorism within the seaport environment.

Over the years the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) has been working endlessly to install an automated access control for the port industry, which is yet to be completed. It is meant to effectively control exit and entry into the ports.

Henry Ajatumobi, pioneer president, Port Facility Security Officer’s Forum (PFSO), said, “Nigeria is laid back in her attitude to security issues, and this is why the seaports have become porous beyond the internationally acceptable standards.”

Ajatumobi, who spoke to BusinessDay on the sidelines of the 10th anniversary of ISPS Code implementation in Nigeria, said the NPA in the past started with the installation of automated access control gate in the eastern ports, which no longer existed due to poor maintenance of the facility.

He advised that Nigeria should put innovative security measures in place, adding that ISPS Code challenged every maritime nation to continue to evaluate, review and assess their security strength within their immediate environment, something that Nigeria must do to avoid being left behind.

The recent blast near Folawiyo Jetty in Apapa, Lagos, which Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for, and which experts say was intended to destroy Nigeria’s major seaports (Apapa and Tin-Can Island), is a wake-up call pointing to the need to tighten security measures around the port city to avert great damage to the multi-billion dollar investment in the supply chain business. It is expected that an automated access control system would deny access into the ports to unwanted persons who have no business in there.

BusinessDay findings show that an automated gate system to control access in and out of Nigerian seaports would help in positioning the nation to compete favourably in an increasingly competitive market, where importers and port users require logistics solutions that would fast-track cargo delivery and reduce costs of doing business.

Also, access control will help in reducing waiting time of vessels, cargoes and trucks, thereby resulting in faster turnaround time. It will also reduce the rate of corruption at the port gates where it is alleged that NPA officials extort money from truck drivers before granting them access in and out of the ports.

“This also points to the need for Nigeria to up its investment portfolio in the port as an automated gate system would result to improvement in the port infrastructure that would also strengthen the port-side logistics required to support increased cargo volume,” said Tony Anakebe, a maritime analyst.

Anakebe said this would also usher in technologies that would manage gate operations for trucks, ensuring that all containers and trucks are automatically identified before entering or exiting any of the port terminals. It would also involve cameras that capture the truck registration and container identification numbers, he said.

Uzoamaka Anagor